Have you ever taken a wrong turn and missed your destination on a road trip because you weren't paying attention to the signs and how they were directing you? Today on Truth for Life we'll see how some of Jesus' followers came to the wrong conclusion when they failed to understand the significance of the signs Jesus performed. Alastair Begg is teaching today from John chapter six. Verse eleven. for what we are about to receive, says Jesus.
May the Lord make us Truly thankful. Perhaps he prayed. We thank you for this food and for those who Who prepared it? Namely, one little boy's mother at the moment. Presumably.
He gave thanks. And then he distributed it. And then it multiplied. And in that process of multiplication, There was the participation of all who were present. And I take it.
One of the questions when you read a passage like this is: well, how did this take place? How did that happen? When did it happen? If your mind goes in that direction. If the multiplication only took place in the hands of Jesus.
And there were 20,000 people there. The person who was 20,000th on the list of waiting. We'd be there till well past midnight. Because it was only going to take place When Jesus had it in his hands, So I assume. That the multiplication was taking place miraculously as people passed the material from one to another.
It's not that God is doing a trick, like sending m uh stuff down or showing that it's hanging on trees. No, he's working in the natural in a way that is phenomenally supernatural. And if you think about it, We would be surprised if that were not the case. Notice what we're told.
So all the uh sat down and the When they'd eaten their fill. And when they had enjoyed as much as they wanted, Jesus said, gather up the leftover fragments. that nothing may be lost. Mm. I wish I was present.
I'd like to have been present to hear the conversation between the disciples from the initial question: Do you know anywhere that we could get food for this crowd? No, that's not a possibility. We do have a boy. He's got a so small thing here.
Well And then they're walking around at the end of the day picking up the leftovers enough to fill twelve baskets. They didn't know that Paul, when he wrote to the Ephesians, would end chapter three by saying now unto him, who is able to do Exceeding abundantly, beyond all that we could ask or even imagine. What an amazing Miracle This is. That's the miracle. Two questions.
What does it mean? And why does it matter? What does it mean? Well, essentially, it means this: that the sign of the bread Jesus multiplied. was intended To point to the one who performed the miracle.
The sign of the multiplication Was, as with all the other signs, intended to point to Jesus himself. It means that then we are confronted with the generosity and with the authority of Jesus.
Now, let's just stop there for a moment and acknowledge the fact that there will be some within earshot of me now who are saying, I can't believe this stuff. I came here to Parkside Church. I thought it was a fairly sensible group. But now you're actually telling me, apparently, that you and perhaps others that are around me here. really do believe in miracles.
Actually, you believe in these miracles. And the answer to that is A wholehearted yes. It is inescapable unless you want to become a liberal Christian, unless you want to become a person that doesn't actually believe the Bible, unless you want to decide that you believe the parts you like and you disbelieve the parts you don't like. And anything that stretches means you leave it aside. First of all, our presuppositions are immediately and radically altered by a discovery of who Jesus is.
The philosophy that underpins the naturalism of man stands back from this and says it cannot be. And that is where many of us actually started our lives until one day in a miraculous encounter, a John chapter 3 encounter, we were born again. We were born again. And something happened to us that changed not only our relationship with God, but changed our mentality on things and convinced us of things that otherwise we would have been unconvinced of. We began to read John 1.
And we discovered what John is saying, that all things were made through him. And without him was not anything made that has been made. That's the starting point.
So the creator of the universe is introduced to us in the prologue of John's Gospel. The creator of the universe now steps down into our neighborhood. steps down into time. It would be very surprising if the Creator of the universe, then, who established the laws of nature, Would not be able to interact with them, having created them, he can also do what he likes with them. We might say so.
Now, C.S. Lewis says much along the same lines, but he writes this way in God in the Dark. The Christian story is of one grand miracle. The Christian assertion being That what is beyond all space and time What is uncreated, eternal, came into human nature. descended into his own universe.
And rose again. bringing nature up with him. If you take that away, There is nothing specifically Christian Left.
Now if you think about it. People who go to churches where the minister feels it is his obligation in order to let them know that he is both very intelligent and so are they, that you can just pretty well dispense with this kind of stuff. It's the kind of thing that you have in William Barclay's commentaries when we come to tonight. Barclay cannot accept what John says about Jesus walking on the water. He doesn't want to, and therefore he doesn't.
So he decides that the boat is not in the middle of the water. The boat is along the side. And when they found themselves immediately at the end, when you read the text, he says, and that was just the sound of the boat hitting gravel on the edge, and they realized it all. as if to make it more amenable, more appealing. No.
Any narrative any narrative that we want to immediately discard as being unhistorical. because it includes the miraculous. challenges us at every point. Because you see, the miracles are an indication of Jesus' power over nature. his power over nature.
His healing miracles. If you think about this idea that the sign points to the person, the man born blind. is a dramatic Display of the fact that Jesus is the light of the world. The feeling of the five thousand is a dramatic indication that Jesus is. The bread of life.
There is actually no Christianity without supernaturalism at all. In fact, Christianity is the one uh religion. that demands this. Because it crumbles entirely without it. Think incarnation.
Think resurrection. And it's in that context that we find this. Who else would we expect to be doing this other than the Creator? The miracles of Jesus, as we say, are about the disclosure of his identity. His identity, because the question is who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus? Is he just a guru? Is he just another man? Is he just another teacher?
Somebody who hung around for a while and now is long gone. No, he's not. The miracles are declaring that in the identity of Jesus you have the coming of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. All that is anticipated in the Old Testament, where the kings come and they reign and they fall apart and they fail and they go on to another king.
All the way through, the longing is there must be a king that is going to come. who can do all the things that need to be done. And that's why Jesus, at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, he stands forward and he says, The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news. And people say, well, how are we going to know the kingdom of God is at hand?
Is it all dusted and finished? No, but it's in process. And how we would have indication of the fact that the king was present in his kingdom.
Well That is the very question, of course, that John the Baptist was asking. when they put him in prison. Don't you find it fascinating that John the Baptist is the one who is able to say, I am not worthy to untie his shoelaces. I am just a finger pointing towards him. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
And then a few chapters later, he's in the prison. And in the prison, he hears what Jesus is doing. And he says to himself, He doesn't seem to be doing what I said. He was going to be doing. Remember, he was very strong on the fire is already kindled, and the axe is at the root of the tree.
But he hears what Jesus is doing. And it doesn't sound like there's any fire burning, and there doesn't seem to be an axe anywhere in sight. And so he sends two of his disciples, this is so amazing, two of his disciples, could you go and ask Jesus what do you want us to ask him? Just ask him this. Are you the one who is to come?
Or should we be looking for somebody else? People always say, Do you ever have doubts, Pastor?
Well, if John the Baptist can. Maybe I can have a few as well. I don't have any in my mind right now. But hey, the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. Are you the one who is to come?
And what is the reply that Jesus gives? He says, go and tell John what you hear and what you see. The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, And the poor have the good news Preach to them.
And blessed is the one Who is not offended by me? That's a little, hey, hey, John. in the jail. Hey, hey, blessed is the one who is not offended by me. Are you actually offended by me, John?
And when you read on in this chapter, you will discover that that's exactly what happens. They took offense at what he said.
So here we have it on this particular and unforgettable day. As the disciples gathered up the leftovers. Jesus Has in this miracle provided a picture of what he came to do. And what he came to do was to provide men and women with food. for our souls.
Now, what John makes clear is that the crowd Saw the sign. But they failed to see. What it signified. They saw the sign, but failed to get the significance. Why do we say this?
Well, because they were focused On the food. They were focused on the food. Jesus says to them, you came looking for me. Not because you saw God in my actions. But because I fed you.
I filled your stomachs. For free. That's exactly what had happened to them. Wow, this is magnificent. This is amazing.
Carson, in a wonderful sentence, says their attention was focused on food. Verse 26, and victory, verse 15. They say, let's make him a king. But of course they have no idea of the kingship of Jesus and he has to slip out. Focused on food and victory, not on the divine disclosure mediated through the Incarnate Son.
Not on the Son as the bread of life. Not on a realistic assessment. of their own needs. They were fascinated. They were followers.
But they were unchanged. That brings me to the final question. Why then does this even matter? Why does it matter?
Well, it matters for a whole host of reasons, but at least for this. In this, Jesus is saying that without him without feeding on him, Men and women starve eternally. Without feeding on Jesus, men and women starve eternally. That's why you will notice as you if your Bible is open and we'll go on to see this, he says to them after he said, You were only here because of the sandwiches. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you for on him, on the Son of Man, God the Father has set His seal.
And they immediately say, Well, what do you want us to do? To be doing the works of God. And he says, The works of God are to believe on him whom he has sent. Religious people always want to be told what to do. What do I have to do to get in?
What do I have to do to complete the project? What do I have to do to be acceptable? And they're asking the same thing. don't work for the food. That perishes, this doesn't mean don't go to work.
But it means don't establish your life, don't establish your whole existence. on the strength of the here and the now. Think about the food. that endures to eternal life. It's interesting true, isn't it, that Jesus is the bread of life.
Jesus doesn't say, I am the guide to life. Nor does Jesus step forward and say, Here are a few rules for your life. No. And this is the first of the I am statements. in the New Testament.
No, he says, I am the bread of life. In actual fact, he's not simply saying, this miracle points to me. He's actually saying, I am the miracle. I am the miracle. You think that Moses gave you this stuff?
No God sent It down from heaven. And God has sent Me down. from heaven. That's the miracle. The fact is that they saw the sign, but they never arrives at its destination.
And that of course is true. whenever the word of Jesus is proclaimed. I said at the beginning that this chapter represents something of a crossroads. And we stand at a crossroads as well. Every time someone, whether it be myself or a friend or someone else or one of my colleagues, is opening up the Bible and saying, This is who Jesus is, and this is what he's come to do.
It's crossroads time. We stand at the crossroads. We say, Well, I like to come. It's a relatively painless way to spend an hour and I feel better about myself or whatever it is. I like to hear these stories.
I don't have any real interest in in turning my life upside down or having my life turned upside down or not. And once again, Today Some will turn back. I no longer walk with him. I wonder what your response will be. But let me end in this way.
It matters. It matters not simply to the person who's considering the claims of Christ, but it matters to those of us who claim to be followers of Christ. Because the question that Jesus put to Philip As a test. remains, if you like, as a challenge to those of us who say that our stated purpose is to see unbelieving people become the committed followers of Jesus Christ. That's actually what we've said, is the purpose statement of our church.
When you sign up, as Sue and I have done, and when you realign yourself with our commitment, you're making a commitment to that. And Jesus looks at us. And he says uh Where where were the people around here? find the food. that lasts to eternal life.
And we say, well, there's no one place they could go, but we do have. a small offering that we could are put into the program. Look at the huge crowd, says Jesus. How are you going to feed them? In fact, in one of the other Gospels, Jesus says to them.
You give them something to eat. You give them something to eat. To which the reply comes, Well, what are we going to give him to eat?
Well, the only thing we can give them to eat is the bread of life. But how could you ever convince somebody of the benefits of the bread of life if you've never eaten it yourself? What a strange thing to try and press the claims of Jesus upon other people when the claims of Jesus have never taken root in our own hearts. It's a challenge too to make sure that we don't succumb to the temptation. to invest our lives only for time.
But instead for eternity. As I sat at my desk during the week, I said to myself, I wonder what was going on in the mind of Francis Ridley Havergal. She was a very clever lady. She knew Hebrew. She knew Greek.
She was a very talented musician. But she chose only to use her gift. To the end that people might come to know and love and follow Jesus. And on one particular occasion, she has been in a house party with a few friends. And she has been greatly concerned that some of the ten people present in the house party either don't know Jesus or have lost their love for Jesus.
And during that time he was She continues to pray that she might be useful in influencing them in relationship to who Jesus is. And over the course of the weekend, she says there was a remarkable response on the part. of these people. And she sat in her bedroom and she took out a pen and she wrote down Take my life. and let it be.
Consecrated, Lord, to thee, take my moments and my days. Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my love. O Lord, I pour at your feet its treasure store, and so on. Remarkable hymn An old hymn.
Please Pause and pray with me. Lord, in the stillness of the morning hour, far away from the goal and heights. We hear your voice. We thank you for your straightforward declaration that you are the bread of life, that whoever Each of you will never hunger. Whoever believes in you will never thirst.
To whom else could we possibly go? with such a message. and from whom We go. to tell others that message. Help us, we pray.
In your Son's name. Amen. Jesus is the very bread of life. You're listening to Alastair Begg on Truth for Life. You know, everyone, regardless of age, needs to hear and know about Jesus.
So if you're doing some Christmas shopping this week, let me encourage you to view the many biblically sound books we have available in our online gift page at truthforlife. org slash gifts. you'll find devotionals, study bibles, books for everyone on your list. For example, we often hear from parents and grandparents about how much they value books that teach young children about Jesus. And among our book selection you'll find a set of three colorful hardcover picture books.
Each book teaches a different story from Scripture. There's one about Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus, one about the earthquake that freed Paul and Silas from prison, and a third book that tells the story of Jesus healing an official's son. All three of these books can be purchased for only ten dollars, and I had the chance to read all three of these to my grandsons not long ago, and they loved them.
Now if you know somebody who enjoys Puritan writers, you'll find a three book Puritan treasures bundle that would make a great Christmas gift. The Puritans are remembered for their deep theological insights and moral lessons. The language in these books has been lightly edited to make them more understandable for modern readers. This three-book bundle is available on our gift page for a cost of just eight dollars.
Now keep in mind that Truth for Life is fully listener funded. It's only through your donations that we're able to make available these faith building resources for these low prices.
So when you make a purchase to day Your add-on donation at checkout helps make all of our books extremely affordable for you and others. The holiday gift books are only available while supplies last, so browse the selection today. You can preview and buy your books and add your financial support, all at truthforlife. org slash gifts. Or you can call us at 888-475.
five eight eight seven eight eight four. And when you add a donation, be sure to request the book Christmas Thoughts by J. C. Ryle. It's our way of saying thank you for your financial support.
Thanks for listening. As we're finding out, being near Jesus or simply enjoying his teaching isn't a guarantee of genuine faith. Join us tomorrow when we learn how to come to a personal, saving relationship with Jesus. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
Yeah.
